Growing Vandas under 1000W MH

This is a discussion on Growing Vandas under 1000W MH within the Semi Hydro / Lights / Greenhouses / Accessories forums, part of the Orchid Culture category; Hey there,
I just got a 1000 watt MH light, as an upgrade from my ...

Growing Vandas under 1000W MH

Hey there,
I just got a 1000 watt MH light, as an upgrade from my light cart. I have started to set up my new grow area of 8X4 feet, and need some advice on how far to put my light above some of my mature Vanda Species. I will send pictures as soon as it is all set up....
Thanks,
Andre

I would start them at about 2 feet below the lights and maybe move them up slowly until they start to turn a light green. Slowly acclimate them to the light and be aware that these type of lights produce a great amount of heat.

That is just a guess based on several growers placing catts about 4 feet under the lights. Considering vandas need about twice as much light I came up with the 2 feet guess.

Originally Posted by Andre

Hey there,
I just got a 1000 watt MH light, as an upgrade from my light cart. I have started to set up my new grow area of 8X4 feet, and need some advice on how far to put my light above some of my mature Vanda Species. I will send pictures as soon as it is all set up....
Thanks,
Andre

I have been thinking about this too. I was hoping someone would chime in and Clint did! Bravo! I would guess the same as Clint. I do not grow under lights, but my vandas get very bright light. They are all grown at the top of my greenhouse above the cattleyas. They also seem to tolerate higher temperatures. The top of the GH gets very hot during the summer here in Arkansas. Good luck and do let us know what you find out.

Thanks for your input!
Right now I have my light about 2 feet above my large tricolor (There are patches of purple on the leaves now), and about 3 feet from my other vandas. Many of my plants are putting out roots now and my Vanilla is growing like a weed!
I will keep you updated...
Andre

I was using 65w CFL and natural light, but then we moved to a place where I could have a small area dedicated to my plants.... So I went to the local hydroponic store and got the 1000w system, and put my other lights/light cart into storage.
I may have put a couple of my Vandas too close to the light (getting a bit purple). I am not sure how much light they are getting, but the leafs are not hot to touch. I should ask for a light meter for Chistmas!
Andre

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